Chevron donates $20,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County

Money used toward learning robotics this summer

The money will go toward funding summer camp where kids learn the basics of robotics.

KERO

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County have a lot to be thankful for.

Chevron donated $20,000 to give local kids the opportunity to put their critical thinking skills to the test during their summer vacation.

"The kids get to go through summer camp and instead of going through a regular summer camp, they get to play with robots and learn math and science while doing it," Adam Alvidrez, a Chevron representative, said.

The curriculum includes building robotic Legos they can operate with a smartphone.

"I like Legos and having them come to life is pretty school," one child said.

Marshall Johnson, a program specialist at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County, said the program did not have the extra funds to give every kid a chance to build their own robot last summer.

"Because there were so many children we had to facilitate and bring into our clubs, we just weren't able to let all the children have a chance at building because it is time consuming," he said.

This year, they hope to teach key elements of math and science to everyone while having fun.

"We're hoping they just get excited about it, learn and have fun," Alvidrez said.

The summer camp runs from June through August.

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